About Michelle

... FLAMENCO IS A WAY OF LIFE ...

Michelle Nascimento "La Caoba" is the Artistic Director and founder of "Flamenco Triana". She has been dancing most of her life and besides Flamenco she is trained in Ballet, Jazz and other ethnic dances.

Flamenco was love at first sight, and she traveled to Spain to study this art form at the famous "Amor de Dios" with some of the greatest masters: Ciro, Maria Magdalena, Carmela Greco, Paco Romero, La Tati, Rafaela Carrasco, Timo Lozano and Candela Soto. Living in Sevilla, she intensively trains with such great gypsy legends as Juana Amaya (one of her biggest influences) and the Farruco family amongst others. She returns to Sevilla every year to bring back the most authentic and updated Flamenco and share it with her students and her audiences.

Performing throughout the United States, Europe and Northern Africa, Michelle Nascimento "La Caoba" has appeared as a soloist and choreographer in the Opera "Carmen" in New York and at the Ravinia, the dance festival  "Dance Chicago", "Tappininthetwincities" in Minneapolis, the annually held Christmas show "The Nut Tapper"at the Athenaeum Theater, and "We are the Drums" at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in Milwaukee . Most recently she had the honour to partner world renown Flamenco dancer/choreographer Luis Montero in his Chicago premier of the "Bolero" at the Ruth Page Center for Performing Arts, presented by Dance Loop Chicago. She also performs regularly with her company Flamenco Triana at many Spanish Restaurants such as 1492 Tapas Bar, Cafe Suron, Bravo Tapas, Haro Tapas and more. In Miami she was a featured soloist at the tablao "Costa Vasca" and at the "Viajante Espanol". In Spain Michelle Nascimento "La Caoba" is featured on several television shows as a regular principal dancer, and appears in magazines, newspapers, televison news highlights and cultural programs.

Throughout Chicago and the Midwest, she presents educational programs in schools, libraries and museums, also collaborating with the IMF (International Music Foundation) showing the origin and history of Flamenco.

In Chicago she is now an acclaimed and sought after Flamenco teacher, leading her independent classes (at Vero Dance Studio), she has also taught for the Hyde Park School of Ballet, Columbia College, The Old Town School of Folk Music, The Salt Creek Ballet, NAADA and various "after school programs". She gives her students the opportunity to perform in annual recitals and other shows.

Michelle Nascimento "La Caoba" keeps receiving invitations to teach workshops and to perform nationally and internationally.

It is her wish to bring this ancient art form to all people, to share her experience and knowledge with her students, her audience and the community, contributing to the constant growing of the arts in the form of education and reaching a higher cultural awareness.